Educational appliance.



, I I No. 687,288. Patented Nov. '26, I90l.

T. E. THOMPSON. EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

' (Application filed mar. 16, 1901.

(No Model.)

llllllllll I HII HIZHIIIHII-Z iiiliV///////////////////7%I//%I%I'////IIWI%I%II'//AI wlmlmlwnmm I '71512967657. v I 1 I zomaiZfT/zom 8-070 //u;q r x l f 2 @531 NITED STATESPATENT ()FFICE.

THOMAS E; THOMPSON, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 687,288, datedNovember26, 1901.

Application filed March 16,1961. serial No. 51,560. de ote.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Educational Appliances orGames, of which the following desoription,in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to that general class of educational appliancesor games wherein a frame or board is provided with a series of channelsor grooves to receive sliding blocks, which are adapted to be movedabout in the channels and capable of being arranged in different ordersor groupings, such an appliance forming the subject-matter of UnitedStates Patent No. 641,738, granted to me the 23d day. of January, 1900.The basic idea embodied in said'patent and the manner of manipulatingthe appliance orga me are the same in my present invention; but I haveherein improved the apparatus in certain features, to be more fullyexplained hereinafter, where by the proper or improper arrangement orgrouping of the blocks may be instantly detected.

It is the object of the game to start with the blocks of the severalgroups disarranged and interspersed among each other and then to bringthem together in the respective channels in which they belong, as in thepatent referred to.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying one form of myinvention, only a few of the blocks being shown. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section thereof on the line wee, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partplan view of another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 4 is a like viewof yet another modification. Fig. 5' is a vertical sectional view ofsuch modification. Fig. 6 is a detail'in plan of another embodiment ofmy invention, and Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the blocks usedin the apparatus shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the frame comprises a bottom board a, on theupper side of which are secured a number of strips or bars a, dividingthe frame into a number of channels b b. The channels I) may be termeddistributing-channels, and, as shown, they follow the general contour ofthe frame and inclose the channels b,wl1ich may be termed branchchannels, the latter being arranged in a series parallel to each otherand side by side, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the branch channels areclosed at one end by a crosspiece b and at the other ends they open intothe outermost one of the distributing-chan- 6o nels b. Upon thecross-piece b at the head of each of the branch channels b of the seriesis marked a distinctive character, symbol, or designationwhiohdistinguishes that channel from the others of the series, and suchcharacter may be a numeral, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the numeralsfrom 2 to 10, inclusive, are marked at the heads of the branch channels.

o 0 represent a series of blocks movable into and out of and through thevarious channels in the frame, the construction being such as to preventthe blocks from leaving the frame, and in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the sides ofthe channels are undercut, while the blocks are shaped like the frustaof pyramids, so as to be retained in the channels, or, as shown in Figs.4 and 5, the blocks 0 having a head portion, a base portion, and aconnecting-shank, being adapted to slide in grooves or channels b of aninverted-T shape. Any suitable means for preventing the blocks fromleaving the frame may be employed, however, instead of the constructionherein shown.

Only a few of the blocks are shown in Fig. 1 in order to simplify thedrawings, but said blocks are marked in any suitable manner toconstitute a series of groups, each block of a group bearing a differentexpression or embodiment of the symbol adjacent one of the branchchannels-that is, those blocks belonging to the channel marked 2, forinstance, willbearthesymbols6-4,86,1+1,

' of 4, &c.all expressing a result equal to 2, the numeral at the headof that channel. 5 Similarly the blocks belonging to the other channelswill be appropriately marked,;the expressions being indicated 'on theobverse faces of the blocks. Inasmuch as the blocks of the severalgroups are interchangeable in the various channels they can bethoroughly disarranged by moving them into and out of the various branchand distributing chan nels, and thereafter they may be arranged in theirproper grouping by the child or pupil.

So far as described the construction is substantially as in my patentreferred to; but after the blocks had been arranged in groups by thechild or pupil it was necessary for the teacher to carefully run overthe exposed faces of the blocks to determine whether or not the groupinghad been correctly performed, and in my present invention I haveprovided means whereby at a glance a telltale indication will showwhether or not the grouping has been correctly performed.

The reverse faces of the blocks of a group, in accordance with myinvention, bear a common telltale indication, the indications of theseveral groups differing from each other, and the telltale faces of theblocks are visible from the back of the board, as will be described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the branch channels are made open-bottomedby longitudinally slotting the bottom a of the frame, as at a and itwill be manifest that the reverse faces of the blocks may be seenthrough these slots or sight-openings when they are grouped by reversingthe frame.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the slots Z) in the bottoms of the channels 12 are madein the bottom board or back b of the frame, and in the modificationshown in Fig. 3 the undercut channels I) are shown as having the open orslotted bottoms a It is now only necessary to provide a differenttelltale indication for the blocks of each group, and this may beeffected in various ways. One convenient mode is to paint or color thereverse faces so that the group for the branch channel2 would have thetelltale color red, for the channel 3 blue, for channel 4 yellow, and soon, and if the blocks have been properly grouped it will be manifestthat upon inspection from the back of the frame the reverse faces of theblocks of each group will show the proper telltale color. If a red oryellow faced block appears in the group whose telltale indication isgreen, it will be at once obvious that that particular group is notcorrect, and the error can then be pointed out to the child or pupil.

In Fig. 3 the symbols at the heads of the branch channels are syllablesor groups of letters, and the blocks relating to or belonging in any onechannel are marked with different words containing the correspondingsyllable or group of letters. Thus in Fig. 3 the first branch channelhas marked at its head, on the frame of the board, the letters a t, andthe blocks c,belonging to that chan nel, hear such words as cat, bat,&c., and so on for the other channels. The telltale-indication featureis carried out in this instance-as hereinbefore described, the reversefaces of the blocks of a group having a distinctive color or othertelltale indication,

so that by reversing the frame the correctness of the grouping can bedetermined.

In Fig. 6 an open supporting-frame F is illustrated, one end and a partof two sides of the frame being shown, and a series of wires or rods fare strung across the frame from side to side to sustain movable blocksg, one of the blocks being shown separately in Fig. 7, the said blocksbeing provided with holes, as g, for the passage therethrough of thesupporting-wires. In this arrangement I have shown cubical blocks, eachset of blocks on a wire constituting a group, and the symbol for eachgroup will be displayed or indicated upon the frame-as, for instance, bythe numerals 2, 3, t, &c., (see Fig. (5,)and, as before, one face ofeach block of a group will bear an expression or embodiment of thesymbol or numeral at the head of that particular group, while anotherface of the block may bear an incorrect expression as related to thedistinctive or grouped numeral. For instance, referring to Fig. 7, theface g is shown as bearing the symbol 2+1, and for the group headed bythe numeral 3 that would be the correct expression or embodiment of thatnumeral, while the face q bears the symbol 5-3, which is of courseincorrect. With the blocks all turned upon their respective rods orwires in disarranged order the child or pupil is instructed to turn themone by one until the proper face of each block is up permost,theincorrect expressions or symbols being used to fill out two of theblock-faces. The face opposite the face g however, will bear thetelltale indication, and, referring to Fig. 6, in group 2 the fifthblock from the top is directly reversed to show the telltale inclicationon its reverse face, a blue color being chosen for this group, and ingroup 8 the fourth block from the top is turned over to show itstelltale-indication color--viz., red. Now if all the blocks in thevarious groups have been turned or moved to bring the correctexpressions or embodiments uppermost then the reverse faces of theblocks will show from the back of the frame the proper telltaleindications for each group, whereas if one or more blocks of a grouphave not been turned to bring the proper expression uppermost then therewill be breaks visible when viewed from the back of the frame, and itwill be at once apparent that that particular group has been incorrectlyarranged.

As in my patent referred to, it will be obvious that the channels may bemarked with various other symbols or characters than those shown and theblocks with characterizations of such symbols, and so, too, it will beobvious that instead of using color as the telltale indication any otherdevice may be em ployed, provided that the telltale indications of theseveral groups differ from each of the other.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement of the frame or board herein shown, norto the particularmode of maintaining the blocks in the frame, as the same may be variedor rearranged Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting-frame having aseries of distinctive symbols, characters or designations displayed uponone of its faces, the several symbols differing from each other; and aseries of groups of movable blocks supported by said frame, each blockof a group bearing on its obverse face an expression or embodiment ofone of the symbols displayed upon the frame, the reverse faces of theblocks of a group bearing a common telltale indication, the indicationsof the several groups differing from each other, the obverse and reversefaces of the blocks being visible from opposite faces of the frame.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting-frame providedwith a series of channels, and having a series of distinctive symbols,characters, or designations dis played thereupon adjacent said channels,the several symbols differing from each other, and adistributing-channel connecting the said series of channels; a series ofgroups of movable blocks adapted to slide into and out of the series ofchannels and through the distributing-channel, each block of a groupbearing on its obverse face an expression or embodiment of one of thesymbols, the reverse faces of the blocks of a group bearinga commontelltale indication, the indications of the several groups differingfrom each other, and means whereby the reverse faces of the blocks maybe observed when grouped in the series of channels.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting-frame providedwith a distributing channel having a closed bottom and a series ofbranch channels opening into said distributing-channel and havinglongitudinally-slotted bottoms, a series of distinctive symbols,characters or designations differing from each other and displayed uponthe frame adjacent the branch channels; and a series of groups ofmovable blocks adapted to slide into and out of the series of branchchannels and through the distributing-channel, each block of a groupbearing on its obverse face an expression or embodiment of one of thesymbols, the reverse faces of the blocks of a group bearing a commontelltale indication, the indications of the several groups differingfrom each other, the reverse faces of the blocks being visible throughthe slots from the back of the frame when the blocks are grouped in thebranch channels.

4. A frame provided with a series of openbottomed channels closed at oneend, and With a groove or channel connecting the other ends thereof,each of the open-bottomed channels having at its head or closed end adistinctive symbol, character or designation, the symbols of the severalslots differing from each other, and a series of groups of movableblocks adapted to slide into and out of the series of channels andthrough the connecting-channel, each block of a group bearing on itsobverse face an expression or embodiment of one of the symbols, thereverse faces of the blocks of a group bearing a common telltaleindication, the indications of the several groups difiering from eachother and being visible through the open-bottomed channels at the backof the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence'of two subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS E. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN G. EDWARDS, AUGUSTA E. DEAN.

